ALL Interviews Episodes

As you know we’ve been toiling in Bluegrass music of late, and when we came across Billy’s music we had to get him on the show. While he is a pretty young cat, and started in the business as somewhat of a prodigy, he has a very mature sound to his voice and his playing, his flat picking in particular is off the charts. We caught up with Billy on the road, where, he spends a lot of time. Billy not only brings a maturity to his music and to the bluegrass genre with a very fresh take, but he also has a ton of knowledge about those who have come before him, and his role within that ecosystem. You’ll want to visit billystrings.com for more on his music and his tour dates. We’re pretty psyched to follow what happens with King and Strings at the Rooster Walk festival, and we’ll be sure to pass that information along from our facebook page.

A few weeks ago, while putting the finishing touches on one of our weekly Spotify playlists, I came across Big Something. Shame frankly that I didn’t know about these guys earlier, because they play a blend of music styles that I enjoy. In fact, its this sub genre of genreless bands that is continuing to pique my interest. Hailing from North Carolina, Big Something have been at this awhile and are set to release their fifth studio record, The Otherside in late April. Like other bands of their ilk, Big Something make their bread and butter on the road. This 6 piece has shared the stage with the likes of Umphrey’s McGee, Galactic and The B52s!

When two of your favorite musicians team up to create a new “super group”, you want to get all the details you possible can on the project. Unfortunately those details have been few and far between, so we tracked down Holly Bowling and Tom Hamilton Jr. to try and pry a little more out of them, about Ghost Light. We had a moderate degree of success, and are excited for the release of their debut record, and their upcoming tour as a band.

For those unfamiliar with Kevin Kendrick, he is a New York based singer songwriter, who got his start with Fat Mama back in the early 2000s. In fact, virtually all of the members of Fat Mama are now in Kevin’s project Big Yes and a small no. His latest record Mise En Abyme due out April 20th, is a musical ode to Kevin’s trials and tribulations. It is, artistically an opportunity to turn the personal page and begin a new. It is filled with thoughtful lyrics and a sonic landscape I found appealing, fresh and eclectic.

A few weeks ago, during the north east leg of Spafford’s tour, they invited Goose to open their shows. I had never heard of them, so I checked out their record on Spotify, and really dug what they they were doing. We even played a track on our weekly playlist on Spotify. They saw on Twitter that they were part of the playlist and reached out. I’m glad they did. Always great to hear from guys excited about the music they are making and the response they are getting. Goose is definitely a band we are going to keep on our radar, and you should too. Their current tour schedule and more is available at Gooseband.us.

I first came across SOJA, a reggae infused 8 piece outfit, back in 2009, when their third record Born in Babylon was released. Since that time, they have grown substantially and are a mainstay now on many festival dates, and continue to tour extensively. Poetry in Motion is actually their eighth record, and front man Jake Hemphill continues to deliver genuine, socially motivated lyrics in keeping with reggae’s tradition of thoughtful messaging. We caught up with Trevor Young, who has a unique story on how he became a full time member of the band.

Soulive has been a part of the quote unquote Jamband scene for quite some time now. The trio fuses hip-hop grooves, R&B melodies and jazz playing to deliver a unique sound onto its own. Each of them are terrific musicians and have gone on to busy careers in the larger music industry. Many of us have kept our eye and our ears on them, and have been waiting since 2012 for new recorded music from. They'd play the odd festival, their bowlive series at the brooklyn bowl each year, but the trio never committed any new music to recordings, as Soulive. Towards the end of last year, the trio went to Japan where they have a huge following to play some dates. While their they too came to the epiphany that they hadn't recorded in some time. As the story goes, thats what got them back in the studio. Recently I sat down with drummer Alan Evans to talk about just that.... and thats how our conversation started. While, Cinamtics Vol.1 is a great EP. I wish it was way longer. I am thrilled that they h…

The Ode is the title track from the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades latest release, and their first on Tape Time Records, the Infamous Stringduster's label. We had the very good fortune of sitting down with Adam Greuel to talk about the new record, the band's maturation process and of course being signed to a label fronted by the Infamous Stringdusters. Make no mistake about it, while this band is rooted in "old-timey" music, they, like many of their newgrass colleagues have expanded their sound. I dig Horseshoes & Hand Grenades quite a bit. Mostly because while Ode is such an eclectic  record, it does more or less stay in the pocket of newgrass, and thats a sound I am digging right now. You'll want to check out hhgmusic.com for tour dates and more. Show Notes First Song: 00:34 - The Ode Interview: 04:02  Closing Song: 28:50 - Eat the Cake

SIMO is a band that is difficult to define, and I am not sure you need to. They are a traditional power trio featuring namesake JD Simo on guitar with Elad Shapiro and Adam Abrashoff making up the rhythm section. We sat down with JD recently to get an understanding of why it is so hard to define his band. Intriguing and somewhat mysterious, marks that define a true artist. I suspect we will hear a lot more from SIMO as JD and the band continue to develop their sound.

The Animal Liberation Orchestra is one of those bands that you listen to, and they just instantly make you happy. This quartet features Dan Lebowitz on guitar and vocals, and when he isn’t playing with ALO he is quite busy in a whole host of projects. We caught up with Lebo as he’s affectionately known to talk ALO, his gigging with Phil Lesh and lots more. Seriously, Lebo is one in a million. A very sweet guy who had so much to share, and would have talked for hours if we asked him to. We’ll keep an eye out for new ALO music, and of course any projects Lebo comes in contact with. You’ll be able to catch him at the High Sierra music festival this summer. For more on ALO visit alomusic.com and for more on Lebo visit lebomusic.com.

I’ve been listening to The Mother Hips out of the Bay area for almost as long as I can remember. Their studio albums particularly Pacific Dust where “One Way Out” comes from is amongst my favorites of all time. While they been at this music thing for about twenty five years, the last five or so years, since the release of the album Chronicle Man have been filled with personal challenges, and thus we haven’t heard much from the band. As you’ll soon hear from Tim, working on a new record was a cathartic way to deal with the curveballs he and his band mates faced. I’ve only heard bits and pieces of Chorus thus far, I can tell you I am eagerly awaiting its release, and you should be too! For more on the Mother Hips you can visit the.motherhips.com.

Hannah Wicklund is a 20 year old that brings a very mature sonic presence, and I think you’ll agree both her playing and singing is solid for anyone of any age. Hannah wears her influences on her sleeve, and her 3rd record, this one self titled, will no doubt be her break through. We caught up with Hannah while she was on the road, and our conversations started when I asked just how young she was when she got started…

When we caught up with Devon Allman a few months back, he was all jazzed about his new project, and getting to share the stage with Duane Betts in the Devon Allman Project. We’ve been playing tag with Duane on Instagram ever since, and we finally had the chance to sit down and chat. Dude is busy with gigs on both American coasts. For those who don’t know, Duane is quite an accomplished musician, having played and sat in with countless bands, and his own outfit The Pistoleers. He brings an eclectic rock n’ roll sound that spans the genres, but there is absolutely no mistaking his guitar playing and now his singing. We spoke to Duane about carrying on his dad Dickie’s legacy, making music with Devon Allman, and of course his own projects.

Jim Cuddy has been toiling in the music business for 35 years, for the most part as a key member of Canandian alt-country, country, folk-rock outfit Blue Rodeo. He has written and co-written some of the past few decades most loved and iconic songs, and brings a tenderness in both his words and performance that envelopes you and makes you feel right at home. He has been recognized by both peers and Canadians with several accolades and awards for his work. I’d suggest his true reward is continuing to work at an art he is so good at. He recently released his 4th solo record Costellations, his most eclectic effort yet, that continues his legacy of writing genuine and authentic songs that paint beautiful portraits of the human condition. I had the chance to catch up with Jim as he prepared to tour the record across Canada, and he was as warm and honest with me as he is in his work.

Fruition has gone through tremendous change since it’s early days as an acoustic based string outfit in 2008, to a full fledged rock band. Maybe that’s why they enlisted noted producer Tucker Martine to help their sonic shifting moods for their fifth release. We caught up with Kellen Asebroek while on tour, to talk about the band’s metamorphosis and what the future holds.

You may recognize Alex Koford’s name, the front man of Colonel and The Mermaids,  because he spends most of his time as the drummer in Terrapin Family Band and Phil and Friends. Beyond those duties, he’s also the drummer at Terrapin Crossroads and plays in Cosmic Twang with friend of the show Ross James. We caught up with Alex after watching some his fun and frivolity on Instagram in Hawaii. We spoke to Alex just before two Phil shows in San Francisco. The conversation started when I asked him how he hooked up with Phil.   

The Wood Brothers 6th full length album One Drop of Truth, is already an early contender for one of my favorite records of 2018. Seriously, its that good. Which really shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, considering how talented the Wood Brothers are. One Drop of Truth is due out February 2nd, and you really should listen to it at least once. I’ve worn the digital copy out, if there is even such a thing, playing it a ton in the car. For those that don’t already know the Woods brothers are a trio of made up of Oliver and Chris Wood and Jano Rix. I recently caught up with Oliver Wood, the lesser known of the Wood brothers in some circles, because many know his brother’s work in jazz trio Medeski, Martin and Wood. I’ve chatted with Oliver before, so it was great to hear his signature voice on the line. Our conversation started when I asked Oliver about the eclectic nature of this new record even though River Takes the Town is so much of their signature sound……   For more on the Wood Bro…

G.Love is actually Garrett Dutton, a Philadelphia native who toiled in clubs and bars playing his brand of hip hop blues before getting to Boston where he met the “special sauce” in 93. That connection propelled G. to his first record deal and 25 years later, the rest as they say is history. Since he is celebrating his 25th year, we sat down with the guy that’s played with all kinds of great people, but more to the point has made great music in his own right.G.Love and Special Sauce’s longevity in its various forms is absolutely a testament to their live performances, the community they have built around those shows and their fairly prolific recording history. Our conversation started when I asked Garret how the 25th anniversary was going….   You can check the tour schedule at philadelphonic.com or listen to their music wherever you stream tunes.

Something slightly different today. We’ve talked to members of bands like Pink Talking Fish, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and even Dark Stark Orchestra, who by all accounts are tribute or cover acts that stick for the most part to one bands catalogue or in the case of PTF three bands. In Toronto and the surrounding area, there has been a ground swell of support over the last few years for a collective called Dwayne Gretzky, an ensemble that features a wide variety of covers in their shows. Sometimes, they even have theme nights like playing a 90s night, a Motown night etc. Dwayne, as they are known by their fans, recently played to a 3 thousand person crowd on New Years Eve. With a few dates coming up stateside, we decided it would be timely to catch up with Tyler Kyte the frontman and brains behind Dwayne Gretzky.  To learn more about Dwayne, surf on over to DwayneGreyzky.com. We’ve created a playlist for you to hear some of the songs that have been in and out of Dwayne Gretzky setlists a…

The Sheepdogs’ sound is a familiar one, and this is a band that wears their influence on their sleeves, and don’t care. I’ve been following the career of The Sheepdogs for quite some time and we’ve shared many laughs along the way. Thats why I was excited to get bassist Ryan Gullen on phone to talk about their 6th studio album, and everything going on with them. Definitely blue collar types that love the music they write and play, and that genuine approach comes through in everything they do. If you’ve never heard of The Sheepdogs, you can check them out on all the music streaming services or at their website thesheepdogs.com. You’ll want to check out their touring schedule and be sure to see them when they hit your town.

When I sit down each week to compile The Sound Podcast’s Weekly Mix-Tape playlist, the goal is always to find artists and songs that fit the general philosophy of music that we love. Meaningful, inspirational tunes, that are genuine in their creation, and authentic in their sound. Obviously the playlist is compiled from songs and artists that we already know and love, but sometimes, I come across a new artist that is new to me, that may in fact may not be new to anyone else. Such apparently was the case when we added Sugar Queen by The Band of Heathens last week. I didn’t realize at the time, that the band had quite a large following and through there 13 years of writing and performing music they had honed their craft into quite a career. So I was elated to sit down with Ed Jurdi to talk about his band, The Band of Heathens, to learn more about them, their inspiration, and a whole lot more. For more visit bandofheathens.com, and do check them out when they visit your town, or on your …

I enjoy talking to solo performers, the singer-songwriter type, because there isn’t anything more genuine, than a performer and their guitar. When you peel the layers of any song, ultimately it’s that individuals ability to connect with their audience through their words, and the way they play their instrument that makes a lasting impact. I’m often in awe of the process, as much as the performance. So it was a treat to connect with Grayson Capps a man who you will soon hear doesn’t take his craft too seriously, but is serious about what he does.  I suspect we’ll be hearing a lot more of Grayson Capps but he might be the type of artist you have to seek out. I believe thats time well spent, cause his music is just so great. For more on Grayson visit graysoncapps.com. Show Notes:  First Song:  00:37 - Scarlett Roses Interview Begins: 05:00 Extro Song:  20:50 - Taos

Samantha Fish launched her career in 2009 and hasn’t looked back. She has cemented her place amongst up and comers in the blues world, and has begun branching out, playing other genres quite capably. That’s the thing these days, its hard to pigeon hole artists in one spot, and quite frankly as you’ll soon hear, they don’t necessarily want to placed in one specific bucket. She is a go getter, on the road, gigging and making a name for herself, as an original artist. When we caught up with Samantha, I asked about riding the wave of excitement that is certainly building around her…. For more on Samantha Fish, visit samanthafish.com.  Show Notes: First Song:  00:47 - Belle Of The West (taken from Belle of the West)  Interview Begins: 04:12 Extro Song:  19:52 - Daughters (taken from Belle of the West)  You can listen to this episode below, or by connecting and subscribing to one of the podcast platforms here or search your favorite podcast platform for “The Sound Podcast”; Itunes: http://b…

You’ve been listening to parts of Touch of Grey, Truckin’, and Ripple taken from the musical Red Roses, Green Gold which features the music and lyrics of Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter. The musical has been getting rave reviews from both Deadheads and typical theatre goers alike, and so we thought, we’d sit down with Rachel Klein, the musical’s director to get her take on the Michael Norman Mann book adaptation, the show, and how things are going down in New York. The conversation started when I asked Rachel if she was familiar with the Garcia/Hunter canon before she started working on Red Roses Green Gold…   For more information on Red Roses, Green Gold visit redrosesgreengold.com    Show Notes:   First Song:  00:14 - Montage - Touch of Grey \> Truckin \> Ripple (from Red Roses, Green Gold)    Interview Begins: 01:02   Extro Song:  Cumberland Blues - 24:23 (Grateful Dead May 2, 1970 Harpur College, Binghampton, New York)  You can listen to this episode below, or by connecting and sub…